Merry Christmas, Big Head!
by Invader Phoenix
Summary: Christmas is a joyous time of year, but it can be difficult to feel that way when  you're all alone. But this year, things just might change for a certain boy... Oneshot, no romance. DAGiF. Happy Holidays!


**I wanted to write a oneshot for Christmas. After all, this is a special time of year. (And besides, I wrote my last Chrismas story in June for whatever reason.) **

**I hope you enjoy, please R&R.**

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><p>Ah, the holidays. One of the best times of the year, where the world seems just a little bit kinder, when cheery song pour in from the radio, and, if you're lucky, a blanket of snow envelopes the ground in a glad embrace. There hardly ever seems to be as much joy in the world as there is so close to Christmas!<p>

Except here.

While all the other kids' parents were coming home on Christmas Eve, one black-haired boy sat alone on his couch. Pulling his trench coat tighter around his body, Dib sighed. His father, of course, was still working. He'd had no idea when he'd get home, but the holiday was likely to be over by then. The Professor was most likely developing more anti-Santa technology.

Every year Dib waited for his father to come home on Christmas Eve, and every year it ended the same way. He'd sit there for hours and hours, and Professor Membrane never opened the door to greet him. The only reason he did it at all was that he had hope. Maybe, by some miracle, it would be different. But, no, he sat in vain. At least last year the boy had been preoccupied with a certain alien's hare-brained schemes, but now it was worse than it'd ever been.

Gaz wasn't even here. She used to wait with him, but by now she'd realized that it was a futile effort. This year she'd gone her friend's house.

Christmas was supposed to be a happy time, a time to spend with family. So why was this happening to him? Dib knew very well that he was blessed with what he had, but it was easy to lose sight of that when no one was around you.

So, with no one there to witness it, he cried.

He didn't know how long he lay, facedown, wallowing in his own misery. The only sound was the muffled echoes of his sobs in the cushions; he'd turned the radio off long ago. The Christmas carols seemed to be mocking him with their sheer joy.

But then there was another sound. A knocking, swift and eager, at the door. Dib tried to ignore it, but it didn't stop. In fact, it seemed to only get faster. Dejectedly, he stood and went to answer it.

A bit of snow blew into the room as the door opened with a creak. Standing there was GIR, of all people. "Hi, Big Head!" he cheered.

Dib looked at the tiny green figure in confusion. "Robot-dog-thing? Why are you-"

"Merry Christmas!" shrieked the small one, handing him a messily wrapped gift. Opening it, Dib found that there was a taco inside. Of course.

"Uh, thanks," Dib replied, smiling weakly. He backed up to close the door, but the robot stayed put.

"Bighead? Why you look so sad?"

He hung his head. "It's nothing."

GIR didn't move.

Dib was about to tell the other to go when the green-clad device smiled. "You wanna spend Christmas wif meh?"

The human felt a spark of hope somehow. He may not be spending the holiday with his family, but at least he wouldn't be alone."

"Sure," he replied with a smile.

Grabbing a coat, Dib followed GIR through the deep snow. The bright afternoon sun beamed down on the white powder, making it glisten with cheer. White, puffy clouds filled the sky. Lights decorated every house, and every so often they'd pass another soul, who'd call, "Merry Christmas!" All seemed perfect.

Perfect, that is, until Dib froze in place. GIR looked behind him.

"GIR? Is Zim at the base?"

"Master went out for a while," replied GIR. "He be doin' some 'ree-search' stuff!"

"Good," replied the boy. At least Zim wouldn't be there to ruin everything.

Arriving at the green house, GIR immediately turned on the radio. Loud Christmas carols blared from a set of speakers, while an angry monkey growled on the TV screen. Dib stood awkwardly in the corner, but the robot wasn't about to let him stay alone for long. "C'mon, Bighead! Let's make COOKIES!"

Following the robot into the kitchen, Dib found a roll of cookie dough, some tinfoil sheets, jars of sprinkles, and a stack of cookie cutters lying on the table. "Ah was gonna make 'em with master, but he's out now. You help me?" And he looked up at the human with hopeful blue eyes.

"Okay," Dib grinned.

The next half hour was spent smacking cutters into cookies, piling mountains of sprinkles on the dough, and lots and lots of laughter.

After putting the cookie sheets in the oven, GIR pulled Dib out to the living room. The human let a smile show. Admittedly, this _was_ kind of fun. The everlasting energy and optimistic attitude of the robot was amusing, and he tended to rub off on you. Being in the same room with GIR for a while either made you extremely exhausted or indescribably cheerful. In this case, it was the second.

The little robot grinned and sat on the floor. "Now whuh you wanna do?" he asked his friend happily. "OOH! We could make snow piggies, or we could watch the deer with da big red nose!"

Dib kicked the ground awkwardly. "Uh-"

"I KNOW! LEZ' MAKE DA TREE ALL PRETTY!"

The human scanned the room. "GIR, there's no tree here."

GIR just giggled and pulled a seven-foot Christmas tree out of his head. Dib didn't move, but the robot was unfazed. "Well? Let's deck-er-ate it!"

There were no ornaments in the base, so the two had to make them themselves. Most of them were made out of food from the kitchen. A few were rubber pigs, one was a stuffed moose, and there was even a chainsaw. The house also had no tinsel, so they improvised with extension cords and jumper cables. While bedazzling the tree, the cookie finished baking, and a star-shaped one was placed on the top of the pine. But there was another problem. No lights.

"Les' use master's machiney bits!" GIR exclaimed.

Dib's shoulders tensed up. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"YES!"

GIR and Dib raced down into the underground base, finding little pieces of machinery that glowed or had lights built into them. Those were scattered across the tree and, at last, their work was finished.

When this project was over, GIR was even more excited than ever. He wanted to decorate the whole base.

"We could make paper chains…" Dib murmured. "And we could make wreaths…"

The robot looked up at the boy hopefully. "You really wanna do dat?"

Dib grinned. "Totally."

While GIR began to tape strips of paper together for the chains, Dib snuck into the kitchen. He grabbed a couple of mugs and some cocoa powder. Five minutes later, he brought out two steaming cups of hot chocolate.

GIR took the mug. "Thank you, Big Head!"

Three hours later, the duo were watching Christmas specials on TV. Red and green paper chains hung all about the living room, the kitchen, the main room of the underground base, and anywhere they could put them. A wreath made out of lettuce and ribbon hung on the front door, and all the gnomes wore Santa hats. Dib had run to the store while GIR was putting up some of the chains and picked up several strings of multicolored lights. These lights entwined the green house, leaving twinkles of color on the pure-white snow. The place looked much cheerier, much jollier.

All was well until that moment. While GIR and Dib sat on the couch, watching the old Grinch cartoon, the front door flew wide open.

Dib could have sworn that at that exact moment, the Grinch song began playing.

Zim stood in the doorway; back arched, skin steaming from the snow that fell heavily outside. His teeth were clenched in anger, and seeing his worst enemy in his living room certainly didn't help. "WHAT- DID- YOU- DO- TO- MY- BASE?"

"I, um-" Dib stammered.

"GET OUT!"

Dib slowly stood and walked to the door. But before he was halfway there, GIR tackled him to the floor.

"No!" came the little droid's cry. "Don't go, Big Head!" He turned to his master and begged. "Pleeeease let Big Head stay? Please, master? He was all sad-like, and I wanted him to come n' play with me while you was gone. Pleeeease?"

"No," Zim replied sternly. "Dib is the enemy. And we do NOT invite the enemy to our home."

GIR began to cry.

Dib turned back to his new friend. "No, GIR, it's okay. I'll be fine." He attempted to smile. "Merry Christmas."

Dib left the house. Zim slammed the door behind him as he walked into the cold outside world. He'd had a great time, but Dib couldn't help feeling a prick of sadness at leaving. _Just be thankful,_ he told himself. _Just be thankful._

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><p>"Master, please!" GIR continued to sob.<p>

"NO!" the Irken snapped. "He's EVIL, GIR! Don't treat the enemy with such…SICKENING KINDNESS! Do you think he deserves it? Why on Irk would you do ANYTHING good for him?"

GIR's antenna drooped. "He was in his house. All alone. N' he was cryin'."

Zim scoffed. "Crying? Really GIR, your little excuses are pathetic."

"B-but, he really was cryin'. He was lonely an' I wanted him to have a good Christmas, master. I- I thinked I could make him happy."

Zim stared at the ground. "Nonsense, GIR. Th-that's just another weakness."

"Haven't you ever been sad, master?"

Zim was silent. A thousand memories clouded his mind, and it was almost impossible to concentrate.

"Master? Did you ever want to be cheered up?"

Zim's head shot up. His expression was angry, but tears blurred his vision. "No, GIR. Never!"

The little robot just hung his head and left, leaving Zim alone with his thoughts.

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><p>Dib scanned the street. Only a few more blocks. <em>Thank God,<em> he thought. It was freezing outside, and now it was nearly too cold to bear. He looked up at the sky. It was dark out, the lights set up on the neighbors' houses helping the moon and stars illuminate the place. The boy let out a small grin before looking down and sighing. Checking for cars, he put one foot out into the street-

"HEY!"

Dib stepped back onto the curb and looked around. He heard he cry again, and a figure wrapped in a scarf came into view.

"Zim?"

The Irken came closer. Growling, he drew his arms around himself. "Ugh! Stupid, filthy snow…" He looked up at his rival. "Well? Let's go already."

"What are you talking about, Zim?"

Zim sighed. "Do you want to spend Christmas with me and GIR?"

Dib blinked in confusion. His once-enemy smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Dib-monkey."

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><p><strong>Merry Christmas to all. :)<strong>


End file.
